97. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (12/6/20)

Florence was the head of her sorority and was known for throwing the best parties on campus. Her sorority did have the largest house on campus, after all. It had a front gate and a driveway, not to mention the seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, along with a movie theater, a bar, and an open-concept kitchen. Florence and her sisters took special care of the place, and they always cleaned it on Sundays when they didn't have class. It also helped when they threw parties on Saturday night to clean everything on Sunday, instead of letting the mess rot in the house all week.

Florence was a senior at college this year, and her and her best friend Emma were planning on throwing a back to the school party that Saturday night. The rest of the sorority girls were on-board and were spreading the word. The only rule was that a certain group of fraternity brothers were not allowed inside, but even they knew the rules. A chill ran up Florence's spin whenever she thought about what had occurred.

That afternoon, Florence and Emma worked on their makeup as they blasted the new Megan Thee Stallion song over the Bluetooth speaker. Their younger sisters, Tiana and JoJo, were out shopping for the snacks and drinks, while the freshmen and sophomore girls were decorating the house and sending out the details.

Florence would hardly contain her excitement; she loved parties, and it only felt right to celebrate the new school year with one. However, there was a pit in her stomach that always seemed to form whenever she planned a party. It was the worry that he would show face, throw open the doors and demand her attention. But she would give him none of it, not after what happened.

"You don't think he'll come, right?" Florence asked Emma, who was busy applying the millionth layer of lip gloss. She then fished for the eyelash curler as she thought over the question.

"No, he knows the rules. And besides, that was three years ago." Florence watched as Emma used the torture device on her eyelashes. "He hasn't shown his face here since freshman year, and I don't think he's going to now that you're president."

Florence nodded. She could hear the front door open downstairs, and Tiana and JoJo walked into the kitchen with the snacks and drinks.

"I hope so," Florence replied before leaving the bedroom and joining the girls in the kitchen. They had already started setting up the snacks in the kitchen.

"The pizzas are coming at seven," Tiana said, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "We ordered twenty-five, think that'll be enough?"

Florence nodded. Behind her, Emma was walking down the steps with the Bluetooth speaker. She placed it on the table and started playing Megan Thee Stallion again. The music and her friend's words started to calm her nerves, but Florence couldn't help but worry.

Later that night, Tiana learned the sad truth that twenty-five pizzas had not been enough to serve the hungry party guests. Everyone was itching for more food, so JoJo and Tiana left at quarter to nine to pick up more. Emma was busy introducing the freshmen and sophomore sisters to the other sororities, and Florence wasn't about to leave the party she was hosting.

Florence was busy touching up her makeup in the bathroom. Other than the food shortage, the party was a smashing success. Everyone was getting along well, and people weren't black-out drunk yet. She hadn't even thought about the banned guests until she heard Emma's voice calling her from downstairs.

Florence's stomach was doing somersaults as she left the bathroom and walked down the steps. She stopped halfway down when she saw who was standing at the door. It was Peter and his sorority brothers. Just the sight of him made her want to throw up her two slices of pizza.

At Florence's first frat party freshmen year, Peter had cornered her in a bedroom and asked if she wanted to have sex. She said no; she was only eighteen, and wasn't about to lose her virginity to a creep with a small dick. He left her alone, but the incident still frightened her. She told Emma, who brought it up with her older sister, who had been the president of the sorority. From that day forth, Peter was banned from all of the parties hosted at Florence's sorority house. The rest of her sisters protected her, and Florence swore to herself that she would avoid Peter. But then, during the second semester of freshman year, they had a gen-ed class together, and Florence couldn't help but run into him a few times a week. He asked for forgiveness, swearing he was drunk that night and didn't mean what he said. Florence had forgiven him, a dumb move on her part, and a few weeks later, Peter tried to get in her pants again. She wasn't giving him any more chances. And for the most part, she managed to avoid him. Until now.

"What are you doing here?" Florence asked, crossing her arms against her chest. "You know you aren't allowed."

"Pres said we could come," a brown-haired frat brother said, referring to Peter.

"Well, I say you're not allowed." Florence walked down the remaining steps until she came face to face with Peter. He had grown a few inches taller, but she still suspected that he wasn't well-endowed.

"Who's gonna make me?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at Florence as if she was an ant he was looking to step on. Behind the two of them, Emma had paused the music and was ready to intervene.

"Peter, it's time for you to leave," Florence said, her voice as flat as old soda. "If you don't, I'm gonna report you to the dean."

Peter shared a glance with his brothers before turning on his heels and walking out. "We didn't want to party here anyway!" He called over his shoulder. He slammed the door behind him, causing Florence to jump.

Emma, Tiana, and JoJo were right by her side. "Are you alright?"

Florence bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry. "I'm gonna be okay. I don't have time for his drama."

The party continued, and thanks to the help of her friends, Florence was able to forget all about Peter and his appearance.